Stampeders GM John Hufnagel adds president to his title

After serving as the Calgary Stampeders GM/head coach for eight seasons, the 64-year-old made his long-awaited move away from the sideline and into the general manager’s chair full-time when the 2015 season came to an end in mid-November.

The singular role didn’t last long, though.

On Wednesday, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation announced that Hufnagel has been appointed team president, with former boss Gordon Norrie, who spent three years in the role, moving into a key, behind-the-scenes job as vice-president of sports properties, sales and marketing for CSEC.

A new position — Stampeders director of business operations — has also been created to assist Hufnagel with the business side of things.

“The opportunity for John to add to his GM role is wonderful,” CSEC president and Stampeders chair Ken King said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon at McMahon Stadium. “I think it expands his opportunity and gives him lots of runway. One thing about football guys, they can stay around for a long time and we love the work that Huff has done for us and really look forward to him in these new roles.”

For Hufnagel, as his hall-of-fame head coaching chapter came to a close last November, a new one opens and it’s something a little bit outside the box.

It also comes with a lucrative “long-term” contract extension that will keep the two-time Grey Cup-winning head coach in Calgary.

“First of all, I’m very honoured, surprised — it came on fast,” Hufnagel said. “It was something that Ken first approached me with right before the holiday season started. I’m looking forward to it.

“I believe I’m a guy that can multi-task. Not only will I have a large concern with gameday on the field, I’ll have a large concern with gameday off the field. Gord has done a great job, he’s hired great people, and I’m the type of guy, as you know, that likes to hire great people and let them do their work.”

Hufnagel is the only GM/president in the CFL, but dual roles are without a doubt en vogue.

In fact, some theorized the new title could be something that was dangled in front of him a few months ago in order to keep him away from the leader-needy Saskatchewan Roughriders, who were rumoured to have the hots for Hufnagel, but ended up hiring his nemesis, instead, luring Chris Jones away from the Edmonton Eskimos with the triple-headed role of vice-president of football operations, GM, and head coach just days after leading them to a Grey Cup win.

“I can tell you unequivocally it has nothing, zero to do with that,” King said of the Riders angle he’s spent months shooting down. “John and I had talked about an extension for him before we had talked about the president’s role here. That’s not us and it’s not John. John doesn’t need, nor want, to have something dangled in front of him to stop him from going someplace else.”

The alleged rift between King and Hufnagel that was hatched nationally never existed.

Still doesn’t.

“A lot of people say that Ken King and I have a rift,” Hufnagel said with a grin. “If I have a rift with Ken, that’s because he makes me work too damn much.”

Between smiles and handshakes, King corroborated.

“John and I have gotten along like a house on fire right from the first day we ever met,” said King, who first hatched the idea in his mind of president Hufnagel about a year ago.

No fleeing for the rival Riders.

No rift between two of the top dogs in an organization that oversees the NHL’s Flames, CFL’s Stampeders, NLL’s Roughnecks and WHL’s Hitmen.

Just work to be done.

In addition to his obvious job of continuing to build a roster that can get back to the Grey Cup, Hufnagel will have presidential duties that include steering a franchise currently residing in an uncertain Alberta economy.

It may not show up in a marketing textbook, but the Penn State product — Hufnagel earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing while throwing footballs for the Nittany Lions in the early 1970s — implemented the most successful strategy of all when he arrived in Calgary eight years ago.

“I think if you ask Gord what helped him raise ticket sales, he’d probably say the on-field production,” said Hufnagel, whose team is 41-13 during the regular-season in Norrie’s three-year tenure.

As for the white-collar Hufnagel, don’t expect much to change for the notorious early riser.

“I’m sure I’ll be one of the first guys in the office over there to put the coffee on, put the lights on, and let’s go to work.”

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